Lime Shortage Affects Cocktail Bars, Restaurants...and You

[weinoo]

So the latest shortage to hit consumers is the versatile lime. Used by restaurants and bars, the price increase is starting to make itself felt.

 

Even in Mexico, the issue is dire. According to CNN Mexico, prices in the country have spiked to almost 80 pesos ($6) a kilo, so its no surprise that prices here are bad. In a survey of friends across the country, prices have gone from a low of about $25 a case to the current market price of $135 a case.

This has hit bars hard.

 

From a story on Eater:

Poor weather in Colima is partly to blame for the shortage, destroying a majority of this year's crop. But a bigger issue is ongoing violence between Mexican drug cartels and the farmers they've been strong-arming, who've begun to fight back. Harvest and export of limes has gotten caught up in the mix, and the problem has filtered down to local bars, who are scrambling to adjust. Julio Bermejo, whose family has been churning out Tommy's margaritas since 1965, says it's the worst lime problem he's seen in his career. "I have never seen it this bad for so long."

 

And it also appears there a citrus disease affecting the lime tree. from the LA times:

 

A variety of factors have contributed to a shortage of limes in the United States that has more than doubled prices over this time last year. And one of the most important is an outbreak of a citrus disease in the prime lime-growing area of Colima, Mexico – and that’s a problem that could affect California as well in the near future.

http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-calcook-disease-that-helped-cause-lime-shortage-in-mexico-could-come-to-california-20140326,0,1187921.story#ixzz2yIEBNkWk

 

 

 

What will we all do?  Would you ever resort to using chemical substitutes that mimic the flavor and acid of a lime?

Edited April 8, 2014 by weinoo (log)

[Paul Bacino]

maybe thats why I didnt find a bag at Costco this weekend

[weinoo]

I just got back from my local "super" market, Their price for limes has always been 4 or 5 for $1; when on sale, 8 or 10 for the same price.

 

Today, they were 5 for $3.

[lindag]

I bought 2 limes a couple days ago for 93-cents each.  Unfortunately I'll have to pay the price since cocktail hour calls.

[Paul Bacino]

I just got back from my local "super" market, Their price for limes has always been 4 or 5 for $1; when on sale, 8 or 10 for the same price.

 

Today, they were 5 for $3.

Yep!!

 

Got 10 for $6  _  I remember my wife saying why did you get them here for that price.

 

So I bought mine to make a shrimp ceviche--  Lime juice, Tomitillo, cilantro, habanero, serrano, chive and avacado s and p

 

The limes were pretty dry--so yeah--I reached for the Real Lime Juice in the plastic container ( but just a little ) 

[johnelle]

Just Google "lime shortage cartels."  The WSJ has some really interesting in-depth pieces on what's going on in Mexico which is where the lime shortage in the US originates.

[Hassouni]

Whatever I end up doing, it will NOT be making mojitos and daiquiris with lemon, as they do in Lebanon. Ick.

[FrogPrincesse]

At Trader Joe's the price for a bag of organic limes (approx 6 limes) used to be $1.99. I think I paid $3 last week (I bought a couple of bags to make daiquiris). Yesterday they were not in stock, but for a Monday that is pretty typical as they were in the process of restocking.

[choux]

My local store has them for $1.49 each!!! Costco has not had them for the last 3 visits either. I have been segmenting one lime into 8 bits for my G&T's.

[Anna N]

Forty cents each at my local discount supermarket just now.

[Hassouni]

Forty cents each at my local discount supermarket just now.

 

Not bad, you could probably hawk them here under the newly-allowed classified rules and make at least 50% profit on them!

[Lisa Shock]

I think I can stand to just drink other drink types for a while. Someone just gave me the last of the season's grapefruits, maybe ten pounds worth, so, for me anyway, it's gonna be grapefruit daiquiris and greyhounds for a while.

[OliverB]

I just paid a bit under 1$ each for small ones. I only use them for cooking though, and can certainly live without them, there are other recipes to try :-)

[Norm Matthews]

This was part of an article in today's Kansas City Star:  "The problem centers in Mexico.....Bad weather and disease cut production earlier this year.  Meanwhild drug cartels in the state of Michoacan are demanding extortion payments from lime growers and have taken control of a distribution center where they sell their limes, ...

[Anna N]

Today. If you can read the sign you will see these are MEXICAN limes. Go figure. It doesn't add up.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

It looks to me like someone drew a slash mark on the sign, Anna.  I can't wait to see what my local lime prices will be at the store tomorrow.

 

And I don't know about anybody else but I got my order in for half a pound of Mexican vanilla beans tonight.

[brinza]

At Trader Joe's the price for a bag of organic limes (approx 6 limes) used to be $1.99. I think I paid $3 last week (I bought a couple of bags to make daiquiris). Yesterday they were not in stock, but for a Monday that is pretty typical as they were in the process of restocking.

I just bought a bag at Trader Joe's in Pittsburgh last week and I can't remember exactly what I paid, but it didn't seem out of the ordinary.  Could be a different story the next visit, however.  I'll have to see what Bottom Dollar is charging, if they have them at all.

Edited April 10, 2014 by brinza (log)

[brinza]

It looks to me like someone drew a slash mark on the sign, Anna. 

The sign does also say, "or .29 ea"

[Anna N]

It looks to me like someone drew a slash mark on the sign, Anna.  I can't wait to see what my local lime prices will be at the store tomorrow.

 

And I don't know about anybody else but I got my order in for half a pound of Mexican vanilla beans tonight.

Nope. No slash. This was the price. 4 for 99 cents or 29 cents each.

[Hassouni]

Quick, get your arbitrage hat on. I'll take a dozen!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I reluctantly purchased another four limes this evening for $5.00.  However I just noticed my store sells US limes, not Mexican.  Duh.

[Anna N]

Earlier today. One of our more upmarket stores. Also Mexican limes.

[Hassouni]

69 cents a pop at Whole Foods in DC today, which seems pretty normal. May check the suburban ethniquerias this weekend.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[Smithy]

2/$1 along the Texas Gulf Coast, today.

[FrogPrincesse]

49 cents a piece at TJ's today for conventional limes (organic limes not available).